Circuit breaker for ignition systems



Dec. '17, 1929. J. E. SWALINKAVICH, JR 1,739,874

CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS Filed 001:. 51.- 1927 2 Sheets-Shet 1 a l Z0 /6 Jb seph E: Gwa/Ia/mwbb J Z'INVENT R.

A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 17, 1929. J. E. SWALINKAVICH. JR 1,739,874

CIRCUIT BREAKER FQR IGNITION SYSTEMS Filed 00$. 31, 192 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 uv W fivm illlllllulkiiiagl um I ATTO RN EYS.

J'oseph E. SW/m Imp NVENTOR,

Patented Dec. 17, 1929 PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH E. SWALINIKA'VICH, JB., OF ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR IGNIXTION SYSTEMS Application filed October 31, 1927. Serial No. 230,098.

This invention relates broadly to the class of internal combustion engines and pertains particularly to a device for breaking the ignition circuit automatically upon the cessation of the engines operation, whether the same be intentional or accidental.

As is well known, the ignition switch of a motor vehicle is frequently left closed during short periods of idleness on the part of the engine which practice causes premature depletion of the engine battery strength and also damages other elements in the wiring system, the induction coil being particularly involved.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a Vacuum controlled circuit breaker which will remain closed at all times during the operation of the engine but will be released for the opening of the circuit immediately upon the stopping of the engine.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means for manually actuating the contact elements of the circuit breaker to stop the operation of the engine independently of the ignition locking device.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in the manner as hereinafter set forth, of a vacuum controlled circuit breaker in which the contact making elements are immediately removed from close proximity to the terminals with which they contact as soon as the vacuum in the device is destroyed.

The invention will be best understood by a consideration of the followingdetailed. description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the present specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows a front view of the device embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the same in side elevation.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the circuit breaking device.

Figure 4 is a View taken substantially upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, looking towards the front of the device.

Figure 5 is a central longitudinal section of the circuit breaker.

Figure 6 is a view taken substantially upon the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a View taken substantially upon the line 7-7 of Fig. 5, looking towards the rear of the device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughoutthe several views, the numeral 1 indicates a front plate or panel which is designed to be secured to the instrument board of a vehicle or in any other appropriate position, and secured to the upper portion of the rear face of this panel is a rearwardly extending cylinder 2, the rear end of which is closed by the wall 3 and has a centrally positioned tube 4 leading therefrom. The other end of the cylinder 2, or that end which bears against the rear face of the plate 1, is provided with laterally directedtabs 5 which bear against the back of the plate to be secured thereto by the bolts 6 which pass through the tabs and through the plate in the manner shown.

The Wall of the cylinder 2 is provided throughout substantially half its length and at diametrically opposite points with the slots 7, one of which slots has one longitudinal edge thereof provided with the elongated recess 8 setting up the front and rear shoulders 9 and 10, respectively, for the purpose hereinafter described.

Secured in the cylinder 2, intermediate the ends of the same and dividing the same into the forward and rear chambers 11 and 12, is a disk of insulation material 13. The forward face of the disk 13, or that face opening into I the chamber 11, is provided at diametrically opposite points with the counter-sunk contact plates 14:, each of Which projects laterally through the adjacent slots 7 and terminates in 5 the angled portions 15 carrying the binding screws 16. When the present device is interposed in the circuit of an ignition system, one side of the circuit is attached to one of the binding screws 16' while the other side is connected with the screw of the opposite contact member. The forward face of the disk 13 adjacent each contact member 14 is provided with the sunken portion 17 as will be herein after described.

Extending through the center of the disk body 13 is a reciprocable shaft 18, the forward end of which projects through the plate 1 beyond the face thereof and carries the actuating lever 19. The inner end of the shaft 18 which terminates in the rear or vacuum chamber 12 of the cylinder, carries the piston head 19, the peripheral surface of which piston snugly engages the wall of the cylinder as shown in Fig. 5. An aperture 20 is formed in the disk 13 so that air can be drawn in behind the piston head 19, thereby preventing interference with the operation of the piston through the formation of a vacuum between the head and the disk 13, when suction is applied to the tube 4 to draw the piston rearwardly in the cylinder.

Carried upon and traversed intermediate its ends by the shaft 18 is a contact arm 21, each end of which is bent downwardly to form spring contact fingers 22. The member 21 is secured in place upon the shaft free from contact therewith by the blocks of insulation 23, these blocks being clasped against the opposite faces of the contact arm 21 in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

The shaft 18 carries and has extending laterally therefrom an arm 24, which arm extends through that slot 7 in one edge of which the recess 8 is formed, and the arm normally slides in the recess and is held in abutting relation with the shoulder 9 thereof by means of the spring 25, one end of which is attached to the free end of the arm while the other end is attached to the forward end of the cylinder 2. By means of this arm 24 and spring 25, the contact fingers 22 are normally maintained in alinement with the contacts 14 and, in addition to this, when the engine in connection with which the device is used is not operating, this spring will maintain the contact fingers in a forward position in the cylinder with respect to .the contacts 14.

The insulation clamp bodies 23 are slidable upon the shaft 18 and arranged between the arm 24 and the contact arm 21 and securing bodies 23 is a coil spring 26 one end of which is secured to the arm 24 while the other end is secured to the adjacent insulation body 23. This spring normally tends to hold the bodies 21 and 23 away from the arm 24 but as will be readily understood, when the pis- ,ton I9 is drawn rearwardly in the cylinder to bring the contact fingers against the contacts 14, the contact arm and supporting bodies will be moved slightly forwardly on the shaft 18 against the tension of the spring 26, the spring therefore serving to maintain a secure contact between the fingers 21 and the contact elements 14.

When in use, the present device has connected to the tube 4 a hose 27 which is connected in an appropriate manner to the intake manifold of the engine in association with which the device is used.

Under normal conditions, the piston 19 will be in the forward portion 'of the vacuum chamber 12 and the contact fingers 22 will therefore be free from engagement with the contact elements 14. Upon the starting of the vehicle engine, the suction created in the intake manifold will cause a partial vacuum to be formed in'the chamber 12, thus causing the piston. 19 to move rearwardly in the chamber, consequently moving the contact fingers 22 into engagement with the plates or contact elements 14 to complete the circuit in which the device is mounted. This operation places the spring 25 under tension, the arm 24 moving rearwardly in the cylinder in the recess 8. From this it will be readily understood that immediately upon the breaking of the electrical circuit, the vacuum in the chamber 12 will be overcome through the stopping of the engine and the spring 25 will immediately remove the contact lingers 22 from engagement with the contacts 14. If the operator of the machine desires to stop the same without actuating the ignition key, it is only necessary to swing the lever arm 19 to the left to rotate the shaft 18 and the structure carried thereby in a clockwise direction. This places the spring 25 under further tension by the moving of the contact fingers 22 into the recesses 17 which are formed in the disc body 13. Immediately upon completion of this movement, the dircuit will be broken as will be readily understood, the engine stopped and the release of the lever 19 will permit the spring 25 to draw the shaft 18 forwardly and at the same time rotate the same to return the entire structure to the position shown in Fig. 2.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention may be used in other than ignition circuits.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An engine ignition circuit control comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, means for connecting the c linder at one side of the piston with the int-ake manifold, to permit the suction therefrom to create a vacuum in the cylinder, 0.

air of spaced contact elements and contact gers carried b the piston for-connecting said elements when the piston is actuated through the suction created in said manifold, and means form anually rotating the contact fingers to disengage the same from the contact elements for the breaking of the circuit.

2. An engine ignition circuit control comprising a cylinder, apiston reciprocable in said cylinder, means for connecting the cylinder at one side of the iston with the intake manifold, to permit t e suction therefrom to create a vacuum in the cylinder, a pair of spaced contact elements and contact fingers carried by the piston for connecting said elements when the piston is actuated through the suction created in said manifold, means for manually rotating the contact fingers to disengage the same from the contact elements for the breaking of the circuit, and resilient means connected with said piston for partially rotating the same and the contact fingers carried thereby and simultaneously reversely reciprocating the structure to restore it to normal inoperative position.

3. In an engine ignition control device of the character described, a cylinder body, a partition of insulating material arranged Within and centrally of the said cylinder to form the same into a'vacuum chamber and a contact element chamber, a piston within said vacuum chamber, a shaft carried by said piston and extending longitudinally through the contact element chamber, means for connecting said vacuum chamber to the intake manifold of an engine, a pair of fixed contacts within the contact chamber, shiftable contacts carried by saidshaft andnormally in alinement with the fixed contacts, a spring element connected with said shaftand normally acting to shift said shiftable contacts from engagement with the fixed contacts, said spring members being arranged to cause partial rotary movement of the shaft and the shiftable contacts simultaneously with the longitudinal shifting of the shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH E. SWALINKAVICH, JR. 

